³ Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I was compelled to write to you [urgently] appealing that you ^[a]fight strenuously for [the defense of] the faith which was once for all ^[b]handed down to the saints [the faith that is the sum of Christian belief that was given verbally to believers].

²¹ and keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life.